An Early Morning Rant on the Importance of Theology

It's very frustrating when people say as Christians, to Christians, "Can't we all just drop the disagreements and get along?" or, "It's about a relationship, not a religion!" Seriously, to my believing soul these statements sound like nails screeching on a chalkboard, not only because they're patently un-Christian, but also because they're full of double standards.

These people argue that the least common denominator of Christian living should be love, especially for the brothers and the sisters in the faith. This is fine, and to a large extent I agree with it, but before you can be living in love for other believers, it might be nice to have a helpful definition of what "love" really is, beyond a good emotional feeling or a few nice words. I suppose, were I to question one of these atheological types about the nature of love, they'd say that "God is love." And there you have a non-statement, if you take their perspective on the frivolity of theology seriously. God is love, but we must not know too much about God's nature, because it's just important to have a relationship. But if God is love, it does not stand to reason that God is only love, or that God is not wrath, which the Bible shows to be true. If we want to get some kind of a grip on love, it is worth studying the nature of God, Christ, and the Spirit. We should take it a step further, because if God is love, then he certainly acts lovingly, and we should see in what way he acts lovingly. If people choose to pursue a life of love without solid foundations for it as evidenced in the Bible, So really, the idea of dropping important theoogical discussions is foolish because we lose crucial and objective standards for our attempts to love each other. If you ignore theology, you can call whatever you want love, regardless of whether it actually is or not.

As far as the Christian religion goes, and it certainly is a religion and will be one till glory comes, it is important to note that it is a religion of relationships, namely of God to humanity and person to person. When people suggest otherwise, they're trying to make a religion for themselves. It would be funny to watch the double-standard, if it wasn't as sad as it is. The statement that it is all about relationships is, in error or fact, a religious, theological statement that is made to which others must assent. In fact, these people are some of the most religious people I know in their pleas to come to this conclusion.

Some argue that the nature of this relationship doesn't demand a theological or systematic perspective on Scripture. They seem to think that the nature of God is unnecessary for discussion, or that God is somehow beyond any kind of theological statement. While I appreciate their radical view of the transcendence of God, God has made himself known through his prophets and ultimately through his Son, and we may know true things about God using the means he has graciously left us. Call me cynical, but I really think this perspective is reflective of American laziness, not a real Scriptural or religious conviction. If I am in a relationship with someone, I want to know as much about them as possible. While, with fallen human beings, we may not always be able to take people at their word, or we see alterior motives for actions, God is not so deceptive. One of the things that makes the relationship of God to his people so sound is that God has given his people revelation to trust, and God cannot lie.

Christianity's uniqueness doesn't come from it's being a relationship instead of a religion. If you harp on the virtues of pursuing a relationship with God and neglecting the religious aspects of that pursuit, you're not being unique, just stupid. Every religion is concerned about man's relationship to a higher power, so seeking a relationship isn't exactly unique. The plurality of religions shows that there is something innately religious in man's nature, which is explained by Paul when he says that everyone knows God. The power of Christianity comes from the Gospel, in which, quoting Dorothy Sayers, God is both the "victim and the hero." It is unique in that God chose to suffer for our sake, and that our relationship to God is based on his work, not ours.

I often hear that theology won't make a difference in someone's life, or that theology puts God in a box. I don't like arguing from personal experience, but I think that even my basic knowledge of some aspects of theology have enriched my life to the point where such statements seem, to be honest, tragic. It has not put God in a box, but has opened my eyes to the gracious ways he relates to his people. But don't take my word for it. The writers of Scripture encouraged people to take the Bible seriously, and to really know what it says. Paul praised the Bereans for holding his teachings against the doctrines of the Old Testament, and towards the end of the New Testament Peter tells believers to be prepared to make a defense of Christian hope.

And it is the Christian hope which is so fundamental to our religion. I hear people saying "I just need to do this correctly," or "I'm really at a place where I need to focus on X right now," as if human achievements would bring some significant measure of instant holiness. While we strive for holiness and may obtain a small measure of it, we need to remember that we are fallen, and until Christ returns we will remain. Our relationship with God, from our eyes, is incredibly flawed. But Christ has saved us, and God sees His righteousness as ours. Christ promises to return and deliver us once and for all. That is a Scriptural perspective, a theological one. And it chances everything.